In his order on September 20, Justice Jayant Nath noted that any grievance about the terms of employment, salary or ill-treatment could only be adjudicated by an Indian court, since Richard and Dr Khobragade worked for the Government of India.

Yeah that's not the way it works here in the US. You wanna treat your employees like shiat, you gotta stay in your shiathole of a country to do it.

IamAwake:mayIFark: So, if you don't like the idea of US law being applied in USA, stay the fark out.

Homosexuality is illegal there, and some of our people there at the embassy are gay. A blind eye is turned, in allowance for cultural differences.

Not the same at all, I agree, but...

Homosexuality does not equal to being gay (let me explain). I have no idea really, but I'm guessing, the what is illegal in India is engaging in homosexual act. So, even if you are American, don't rent a room with your male friend. If you do, and if you are arrested, it is your fault. If you are gay, and in India, keep quiet. Unless you are in a mission to change the law, then it is different (even then, don't blame the authority who is following the law, blame those who made the law).

I guess what I'm saying is, if you are not an activist, follow the law, whatever that is in whatever country. If you are an activist, know your risk, go for changing the law, but don't act surprised if you get arrested.

UberDave:gopher321: "The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a strip-search is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade's treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper."Looks like the caste system is still alive and well, congrats India.

You ever worked with someone from an upper caste *and* a lower caste in the same office? Fun times. Girl from upper caste was a gossipy shiat-bag who could barely crank out a SQL stored procedure and yakked on the phone most of the day. Dude from lower caste was a superb coder who worked lots of free overtime. She barely acknowledged him and when she did, it was often with arrogance and disdain.

I saw a very similar situation, only both were guys and I was in a different industry (and a mid-size business). Thankfully, justice prevailed, and the worthless upper caste employee was let go for several reasons; quality of work, poor attitude, being REALLY casual about time at the office, etc. I don't work there any more, but as I understand it, the other person is still there and does pretty well financially. So we get it right once in a while, anyway.

Warlordtrooper:UberDave: gopher321: "The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a strip-search is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade's treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper."Looks like the caste system is still alive and well, congrats India.

You ever worked with someone from an upper caste *and* a lower caste in the same office? Fun times. Girl from upper caste was a gossipy shiat-bag who could barely crank out a SQL stored procedure and yakked on the phone most of the day. Dude from lower caste was a superb coder who worked lots of free overtime. She barely acknowledged him and when she did, it was often with arrogance and disdain.

How is this different then how poor people are treated here in America?

Because in the US you don't get judged based on what your parents did. Oh there's some of that on the east coast, but everywhere else no ne cares. And if you 'make it' despite a poor background, that's a plus. Look at Bill Clinton and then consider how Mitt Romney tried to get people to believe he came from humble beginnings.

Chigau:My observation on caste systems in the work place, especially with Indian populations, is that it comes down to your parents. My parents are farmers (considered low caste), so in the eyes of some of my Indian employees I should be the same caste as a farmer, as one does not switch castes without divine intervention or the help of a fairy godmother. So it doesn't come to my employees minds that my parents are college educated, owning all of their own land and equipment, and making a comfortable life for themselves as they approach retirement. It doesn't occur to them that i have several years of experience in my field, as well as a masters degree. Many cant seem to comprehend these things, or maybe they choose not to.

All they see is that I should be of a lower caste than they were in India, and they resent it. I have actually had my subordinates say that a "Filthy farms-son" has no right to tell them what to do. I would laugh if it wasn't so sad.

"The Delhi high court issued an order to restrain Richard from instituting any action or proceedings against Dr Khobragade outside India on the terms or conditions of her employment, according to a statement issued by the Indian embassy.In his order on September 20, Justice Jayant Nath noted that any grievance about the terms of employment, salary or ill-treatment could only be adjudicated by an Indian court, since Richard and Dr Khobragade worked for the Government of India."

It seems India was aware of the transgressions and tried to cover it up, Fark you, India.

This is not about caste, this is about class. Khobragade is lower caste, but she is distinctly upper class. She was born on third base. She's part of the elite.

The reason I mention this in every thread is that I think that the knee-jerk "this is about caste" reaction is too much of an easy out for her. This is about someone wealthy and powerful thinking that the laws don't apply to them.

By all means throw the book at her. But don't blame her actions on the relatively unique construct of caste. This is a much more universal story.

Chigau:My observation on caste systems in the work place, especially with Indian populations, is that it comes down to your parents. My parents are farmers (considered low caste), so in the eyes of some of my Indian employees I should be the same caste as a farmer, as one does not switch castes without divine intervention or the help of a fairy godmother. So it doesn't come to my employees minds that my parents are college educated, owning all of their own land and equipment, and making a comfortable life for themselves as they approach retirement. It doesn't occur to them that i have several years of experience in my field, as well as a masters degree. Many cant seem to comprehend these things, or maybe they choose not to.

All they see is that I should be of a lower caste than they were in India, and they resent it. I have actually had my subordinates say that a "Filthy farms-son" has no right to tell them what to do. I would laugh if it wasn't so sad.

Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

Come on John Kerry FIX IT. India is strong ally of us and we don't need minor things to spiral out of control. I have an idea - be HONEST with what went on, admit that the NYPD isn't always your kind and gentle police force (I don't think a diplomat needed to be STRIP SEARCHED and if that is standard procedure for all arrested individuals in NYC that worries me greatly) and see what give and take we need to do for both parties to be made whole. This needs to be wrapped up as quickly and cleanly as possible

Also GodComblex you should read some of Hayek's works :o I find it hard to tell someone that they can't do something if they agreed upon it without force, fraud, or coercion. Which the latter two seemed to be at play

Is the deal pretty much that the embassy itself is essentially a little bit of the nation in question so that pay/benefits/whatever can be crazy, but once you leave the grounds (such as an ambassadors house), you have to obey the laws of the host country?

So the US embassy in Sweden could pay the standard federal pay/benefit packages to it's employees (and thus be exempt from the extraordinary vacation and maternity leave provisions common in Scandinavia), but the US ambassador would have to provide those benefits to their cleaning lady?

The more India becomes more outrage and does silly childish things (like removing concrete barriers, threatening to arrest gay diplomats etc) the more it will backfire of them when the real truth comes out.There is no doubt in my mind this diplomat got extremely butthurt by what appears to be a normal procedural thing by the US MArshall but because of her spoiled rich entitiled attitude she decides to raise hell and most likely extrapolate and embellish her story.

From the way she is reporting one would thing that US agents kick down her door, slapped her around, threw her down on the door and right in front of her children cuffed her hands with a boot over her face, Then they proceeded to have a couple of big burly agents stood her up and slammed her against the cabinet all bloodied face while proceeding to tear off her clothes and roughly inserted things in to her cavities.

While I wasn't there I can almost guarantee that did not happened! In relality she was probably treated really nice and respectful, was in a clean lighted room and was asked kindly to undressed by a female agent.

It is reaching redonkulous levels of fervor in India with the removal of security gates in front our embassy and also a politician calling for the denial of a visa of a same sex partner as being the gay is illegal in India.

Fark them, throw her in jail. This is the second case of an Indian diplomat abusing their domestic help.

Another issue is that India doesn't pay their diplomats jack ($6500 a month to live in NYC when you need child care?) and they need to address that.Also part of the problem is that the workers typically live with the family and that isn't factored into their wage. So while $3 hr is super low she is probably double that in free rent.

So the deal is that domestic employees of diplomats assigned to the U.S. must be paid according to U.S. labor law. They have to have a visa (class A-3) and when they apply for the visa they have to show a signed contract demonstrating, among other things, that they are going to be paid properly, get OT, and have freedom of movement when not on duty (i.e. not locked in the closet). During Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State, a formal memo went around to all the diplomatic missions in the U.S. reminding them that they could not deduct more than 20% of their employees' salaries for room and board.

The answer to Fireclown's question as to whether the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden has to obey Swedish labor laws when it comes to his/her cleaning lady is yes.

This woman is not "high caste". She's a dalit. In US terms, she's the illegitimate daughter of two illegal immigrant crackheads, one from Guatemala and the other from Haiti, born in Compton. The maid is probably actually of a higher caste than her. Caste doesn't legally exist in India since independence. And even if it did, "high caste" vs. "low caste" was never a simple matter of a linear mapping onto the socio-economic ladder. For instance, let's say you are a well-to-do merchant in Lucknow in 1878. The guy who peeled potatoes in your kitchen for frankly slave-wages was almost certainly of a higher caste than you. Since he was handling the food for all your guests, he better be tiptop on the caste-scale or you risk offending them. You were just a filthy money-grubber way down the list in comparison. You were also rich as Croesus, with a large estate and a summer home in the countryside; he probably lived in a room he shared with several other servants out back of your garden.

Hell: while the Gandhis in charge of Congress are sort-of Brahmins (through Nehru, but considering Sonja is Italian, I'm not sure how that would work), the PM is a Sikh, and while they basically reject caste, the original Sikhs started out from low-caste peasant stock

Mr. Eugenides:Chigau: My observation on caste systems in the work place, especially with Indian populations, is that it comes down to your parents. My parents are farmers (considered low caste), so in the eyes of some of my Indian employees I should be the same caste as a farmer, as one does not switch castes without divine intervention or the help of a fairy godmother. So it doesn't come to my employees minds that my parents are college educated, owning all of their own land and equipment, and making a comfortable life for themselves as they approach retirement. It doesn't occur to them that i have several years of experience in my field, as well as a masters degree. Many cant seem to comprehend these things, or maybe they choose not to.

All they see is that I should be of a lower caste than they were in India, and they resent it. I have actually had my subordinates say that a "Filthy farms-son" has no right to tell them what to do. I would laugh if it wasn't so sad.

Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

That's what they would like you to believe, but I can assure you, that is not the case.

You will see, 2 to 3 different types of people in India these days. Highschool + educated ones who are below the age of 35 don't give a rat'sass about the caste system. Uneducated people of similar age are confused as hell about it, so they will make a funny face when someone else looks at the caste for the marriage of their daughter, but will still do the same for their sisters. For the educated older types, its the same as the younger uneducated types. Then the uneducated older types that will do anything they can to ensure it. Of course, this is just a norm, and there are many many exceptions. But saying caste has nothing to do in Indian society is a lie. It is most visible in arranged marriage and somewhat visible in case of higher end employment/position, but I guess, don't have significant effect in anything else.

T-Servo:Warlordtrooper: UberDave: gopher321: "The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a strip-search is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade's treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper."Looks like the caste system is still alive and well, congrats India.

You ever worked with someone from an upper caste *and* a lower caste in the same office? Fun times. Girl from upper caste was a gossipy shiat-bag who could barely crank out a SQL stored procedure and yakked on the phone most of the day. Dude from lower caste was a superb coder who worked lots of free overtime. She barely acknowledged him and when she did, it was often with arrogance and disdain.

How is this different then how poor people are treated here in America?

Because in the US you don't get judged based on what your parents did. Oh there's some of that on the east coast, but everywhere else no ne cares. And if you 'make it' despite a poor background, that's a plus. Look at Bill Clinton and then consider how Mitt Romney tried to get people to believe he came from humble beginnings.

My growing-up years in central Louisiana would beg to differ with you.

Nobody went anywhere in that region if you weren't related to the right people.

/and seriously, our elementary school was barely un-segregated by race, and was most definitely segregated by economic level.

UberDave:gopher321: "The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a strip-search is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade's treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper."Looks like the caste system is still alive and well, congrats India.

You ever worked with someone from an upper caste *and* a lower caste in the same office? Fun times. Girl from upper caste was a gossipy shiat-bag who could barely crank out a SQL stored procedure and yakked on the phone most of the day. Dude from lower caste was a superb coder who worked lots of free overtime. She barely acknowledged him and when she did, it was often with arrogance and disdain.

I worked with someone from an upper caste who thinks every single person in existence is from a lower caste. Not a day went by that I didn't wish a gastrointestinal blowout on that woman. I don't know if this is an Indian thing or just with this lady, but she also had zero concept of personal space.

Warlordtrooper:UberDave: gopher321: "The case has sparked outrage across India, where the idea of an educated, middle-class woman facing a strip-search is almost unimaginable, except in the most brutal crimes. In an unusual step, the US attorney in Manhattan publicly defended Khobragade's treatment, and questioned why there was more outrage for Khobragade than for the housekeeper."Looks like the caste system is still alive and well, congrats India.

You ever worked with someone from an upper caste *and* a lower caste in the same office? Fun times. Girl from upper caste was a gossipy shiat-bag who could barely crank out a SQL stored procedure and yakked on the phone most of the day. Dude from lower caste was a superb coder who worked lots of free overtime. She barely acknowledged him and when she did, it was often with arrogance and disdain.

How is this different then how poor people are treated here in America?

Well, based on that example, it's based on a simply social standing or how you were born. Whereas here in American, it's based on how much shiat you appear to have. I'm keenly aware of this as I live in an area of the country that has a high concentration of dipshiats that see wealth (and/or the appearance thereof) as in indication of intelligence and I live very modestly based on my household income.

RexTalionis:I have ZERO sympathy for Khobragade. When the maid, Sangeeta Richard, filed a lawsuit against Khobragade, did you know what she did?

Khobragade had Richard's husband and children in India arrested and held in detention.

This is the kind of person we're talking about.

Source:

"July 8: Richard visited an immigration attorney's firm in Manhattan, New York. A person present there told Rediff.com then that four individuals from the consulate soon arrived at the attorney's office.

There were discussions, and reports indicated Richard demanded a sum as her wages, and an ordinary Indian passport.

Meanwhile, her husband and child in India were taken into custody, according to the witness. A scared Richard spoke with them, and refused to leave the attorney's office premises."

Kerry should have gone all "Road to Perdition" and Conner Rooney on them and said,"I am sorry. I'm sorry you are upset at how Khobragade was treated. I'm sorry for this misunderstanding. And I'm sorry Khobragade was such a f*cking liar."

IamAwake:mayIFark: So, if you don't like the idea of US law being applied in USA, stay the fark out.

Homosexuality is illegal there, and some of our people there at the embassy are gay. A blind eye is turned, in allowance for cultural differences.

Not the same at all, I agree, but...

That law wasn't in effect when India issued the visas to the embassy staff and IIRC their partners. With the new law in effect India has the choice to revoke the visas but unless they somehow catch the people in the act they don't have anything solid to charge them with.

That said, India is clearly going on a fishing trip now, and with a surprising level of enthusiasm, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few US embassy staff are rounded up in the next few days on trumped up charges.

Mr. Eugenides:Chigau: My observation on caste systems in the work place, especially with Indian populations, is that it comes down to your parents. My parents are farmers (considered low caste), so in the eyes of some of my Indian employees I should be the same caste as a farmer, as one does not switch castes without divine intervention or the help of a fairy godmother. So it doesn't come to my employees minds that my parents are college educated, owning all of their own land and equipment, and making a comfortable life for themselves as they approach retirement. It doesn't occur to them that i have several years of experience in my field, as well as a masters degree. Many cant seem to comprehend these things, or maybe they choose not to.

All they see is that I should be of a lower caste than they were in India, and they resent it. I have actually had my subordinates say that a "Filthy farms-son" has no right to tell them what to do. I would laugh if it wasn't so sad.

Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

ikanreed:mayIFark: I can't get the feeling out of my head regarding this whole shiat is that someone is manufacturing the outrage in India.

Yes, its absolutely true that an educated woman being stripped searched is unthinkable in India. But that still does not add up to the amount of attention this shiat has gotten.

Two things that caught my attention: was her diplomatic immunity violated? Seems not. Was she stripped searched by males? There is no mention of that, and as far as I can tell, that is not the standard procedure. On the part of US officials, everything was done according to the book, no foul play involved whatsoever.

So, if you don't like the idea of US law being applied in USA, stay the fark out.

"The US is trodding all over us" is the easiest demagoguery in every other country in the world. Every country has its RWA types, and the U.S. is the world's easiest target for popular outrage.

machodonkeywrestler:Mr. Eugenides: Chigau: My observation on caste systems in the work place, especially with Indian populations, is that it comes down to your parents. My parents are farmers (considered low caste), so in the eyes of some of my Indian employees I should be the same caste as a farmer, as one does not switch castes without divine intervention or the help of a fairy godmother. So it doesn't come to my employees minds that my parents are college educated, owning all of their own land and equipment, and making a comfortable life for themselves as they approach retirement. It doesn't occur to them that i have several years of experience in my field, as well as a masters degree. Many cant seem to comprehend these things, or maybe they choose not to.

All they see is that I should be of a lower caste than they were in India, and they resent it. I have actually had my subordinates say that a "Filthy farms-son" has no right to tell them what to do. I would laugh if it wasn't so sad.

Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

machodonkeywrestler:Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

And people down here in the South insist they're not racist.

From what I've observed in my travels (including both the cracker-ass deep south and India), that holds up pretty well, but only if you include some pretty horrorshow parts of the gulf coast. But the denial of a problem to outsiders is strong in both groups.

Elroydb:Come on John Kerry FIX IT. India is strong ally of us and we don't need minor things to spiral out of control. I have an idea - be HONEST with what went on, admit that the NYPD isn't always your kind and gentle police force (I don't think a diplomat needed to be STRIP SEARCHED and if that is standard procedure for all arrested individuals in NYC that worries me greatly) and see what give and take we need to do for both parties to be made whole. This needs to be wrapped up as quickly and cleanly as possible

Also GodComblex you should read some of Hayek's works :o I find it hard to tell someone that they can't do something if they agreed upon it without force, fraud, or coercion. Which the latter two seemed to be at play

Everyone who goes into Gen Pop gets strip searched. Otherwise you get shanked from crazy people who hide contraband up their butt. Like your head.

A contract is not valid if it violates federal law or for a number of merit based reasons including but not limited to coercion or changing the terms of the contract at any point.

Minimum wage in the US is what it is because that's what it takes to SURVIVE living here. Not live confortably, but SURVIVE.

fireclown:machodonkeywrestler: Are you really talking about intra-Indian relations today? In 2013? The couple of Indians I hang out with on occasion insist that the caste thing is long gone or at least not taken seriously by anyone.

And people down here in the South insist they're not racist.

From what I've observed in my travels (including both the cracker-ass deep south and India), that holds up pretty well, but only if you include some pretty horrorshow parts of the gulf coast. But the denial of a problem to outsiders is strong in both groups.

Don't get me wrong, it's not anything like most Northerners ignorant of the situation describe, but to claim it does not exist is intellectually dishonest. At least it's not nearly as instituationalized as it was previously.

I think being strip searched was overboard if it happened. Not like she was hiding an undocumented worker in her cooter. Clearly entitlement is a common issue and not exclusive to anyone.

In india, women are gang raped, set on fire or have acid thrown on them, not for breaking a law, just being a woman. They have a caste system so brutal some are deemed untouchable. Their educated class come here while the majority of their country live in squalor. India is fascinatingly farking crazy. We are too.

She possibly breaks Federal law and that isn't an issue? Having an employee that makes $3 an hour in NY? New York! Having her husband arrested in India? Exactly what outrages India? Nudity?

SuperNinjaToad:While I wasn't there I can almost guarantee that did not happened! In relality she was probably treated really nice and respectful, was in a clean lighted room and was asked kindly to undressed by a female agent.

This is exactly what's coming out - that the arrest was extremely discreet and thoughtfully-timed, that she was given a huge amount of time for phone calls to make arrangements and such, was brought coffee and offered (ordered) food, 1-on-1 search by a female officer in a private room, etc, etc, etc. She was given enormous courtesy, far above and beyond what a "common" criminal would get.

This is becoming more and more ridiculously clear as a simple case of bruised ego and closing ranks around "their person." Considering what's coming out about her actions towards the person's family - fark her, hard. Stuck-up biatch, I hope we stick you in a coach-class middle seat right back to your filthy, barbaric country.

I can't understand my fellow Americans.Do you like being handcuffed, strip-searched, cavity-probed, put for hours in a jail cell to wait for a commissioner for any civil or criminal offense? In here people are getting this treatment for unpaid parking tickets. I can't believe we, Americans, are so used to it.We should be defending Indian diplomat and agreeing with India instead of showing our blind patriotism. There is a time and place for it, and in this case we should recognize that our law enforcement system has become a tool of intimidation and punishment before any citizen has a right to appear before a judiciary.We should be screaming "bloody murder" in here, because our own liberty is being murdered.My fellow Americans -- the issue here is NOT that the person broke the law. The Federal Judicial Code right now is enough to fill a library, and no lawyer can understand that. We are breaking some law every day unknowingly. The State has a capability to arrest us whenever and for whatever they want, and even if we found not guilty -- the primary punishment of those accused of the breaking of the law -- is putting in a cage and humiliated.My fellow Americans -- this is OUR freedom we are talking about, stop the blind defense of our law enforcement due to the feelings of nationalism and think what if this would happened to you. Anyone can break the law in America but we PRIDE ourselves on the contention that we are INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. However, by the current Law enforcement standards WE ARE PUNISHED FOR BEING ACCUSED by humiliated arrest, incarceration that often lasts up to 24 hours in terrible environment before a commissioner will see you and allow you to post a bond, sexual humiliation by being strip-searched and as the case of this diplomat likely body-cavity searched. This is because WE ARE JUST BEING ACCUSED.If the founding fathers must be spinning in their graves right now.

socoloco: I think being strip searched was overboard if it happened. Not like she was hiding an undocumented worker in her cooter. Clearly entitlement is a common issue and not exclusive to anyone.

In india, women are gang raped, set on fire or have acid thrown on them, not for breaking a law, just being a woman. They have a caste system so brutal some are deemed untouchable. Their educated class come here while the majority of their country live in squalor. India is fascinatingly farking crazy. We are too.

She possibly breaks Federal law and that isn't an issue? Having an employee that makes $3 an hour in NY? New York! Having her husband arrested in India? Exactly what outrages India? Nudity?

\ 3rd world problems in a 1st World country.

Why? Everyone is searched upon being put into jail. Otherwise you'd have even worse problems with cell phones, drugs, weapons, etc. Imagine the outrage if that was not SOP and the biatch was stabbed (we can hope, can't we).

machodonkeywrestler:socoloco: I think being strip searched was overboard if it happened. Not like she was hiding an undocumented worker in her cooter. Clearly entitlement is a common issue and not exclusive to anyone.

In india, women are gang raped, set on fire or have acid thrown on them, not for breaking a law, just being a woman. They have a caste system so brutal some are deemed untouchable. Their educated class come here while the majority of their country live in squalor. India is fascinatingly farking crazy. We are too.

She possibly breaks Federal law and that isn't an issue? Having an employee that makes $3 an hour in NY? New York! Having her husband arrested in India? Exactly what outrages India? Nudity?

\ 3rd world problems in a 1st World country.

Why? Everyone is searched upon being put into jail. Otherwise you'd have even worse problems with cell phones, drugs, weapons, etc. Imagine the outrage if that was not SOP and the biatch was stabbed (we can hope, can't we).

Not in the local jails around here, they aren't. Of course we don't throw everyone in a huge holding cell either.

What was the point in arresting here to begin with? India will just move her into a position where she WILL have diplomatic immunity. She won't face trial or a judge for anything.

justtray:Elroydb: Come on John Kerry FIX IT. India is strong ally of us and we don't need minor things to spiral out of control. I have an idea - be HONEST with what went on, admit that the NYPD isn't always your kind and gentle police force (I don't think a diplomat needed to be STRIP SEARCHED and if that is standard procedure for all arrested individuals in NYC that worries me greatly) and see what give and take we need to do for both parties to be made whole. This needs to be wrapped up as quickly and cleanly as possible

Also GodComblex you should read some of Hayek's works :o I find it hard to tell someone that they can't do something if they agreed upon it without force, fraud, or coercion. Which the latter two seemed to be at play

Everyone who goes into Gen Pop gets strip searched. Otherwise you get shanked from crazy people who hide contraband up their butt. Like your head.

A contract is not valid if it violates federal law or for a number of merit based reasons including but not limited to coercion or changing the terms of the contract at any point.

Minimum wage in the US is what it is because that's what it takes to SURVIVE living here. Not live confortably, but SURVIVE.

Contract issues aside (which appear to have been violated in this case), I don't see an issue paying $3/hour when housing, meals, etc. is provided.

socoloco:I think being strip searched was overboard if it happened. Not like she was hiding an undocumented worker in her cooter. Clearly entitlement is a common issue and not exclusive to anyone.

The strip search is of course for things that can be used as weapons, drugs, syringes and so on to keep the area safe where/while she is being detained.

BigNumber12:This is exactly what's coming out - that the arrest was extremely discreet and thoughtfully-timed, that she was given a huge amount of time for phone calls to make arrangements and such, was brought coffee and offered (ordered) food, 1-on-1 search by a female officer in a private room, etc, etc, etc. She was given enormous courtesy, far above and beyond what a "common" criminal would get.

Yep. Now with citation:

Khobragade said the U.S. Marshals Service subjected her to an intrusive search and DNA swabbing following her arrest last week outside her daughter's Manhattan school on visa charges despite her "incessant assertions of immunity."

But the U.S. attorney in New York, Preet Bharara, issued a long statement Wednesday evening saying she was treated well and provided courtesies most other defendants would not get.He said U.S. Department of State agents arrested her discreetly last week, not in front of her children, and she wasn't handcuffed or restrained. He said she was "fully searched'' by a female deputy marshal in private and called it standard procedure for "every defendant, rich or poor, American or not."

The DNA swabbing is most likely swabbing a Q-tip on the inside of her cheek. No one in the history of the planet has ever complained about the intrusiveness of the procedure, the only complaint is about taking someone's DNA and what might be done with it (now or in the future).